Category: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
Date: 19.07.2004
Printable version
An emphasis on greater transparency, objectivity and accountability
underpins radical reforms in the way the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ will deal with complaints,
announced today.
New streamlined procedures will make it easier for the public to make
a complaint and obtain, where appropriate, a speedy correction.
There will be two routes to make a complaint and a straightforward
two stage appeals process.
A new Code of Practice will ensure that the public know the standards
to expect when they complain.
A new online site - bbc.co.uk/complaints - is to be established, informing
the public on complaints received and action taken, and to publish corrections.
The Board of Governors is to strengthen its oversight of the process
by appointing a new Head of Complaints (Governance), reporting directly
to the Governors, who will monitor the effectiveness of the complaints
processes.
Announcing the reforms, Mark Thompson, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Director-General, said:
"The reforms we are announcing today mark a different attitude from
the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ towards complaints.
"We want to begin with the presumption that the licence payer
is right not wrong.
"There will be a greater willingness at the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ to admit mistakes
and where appropriate put things right."
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Chairman Michael Grade said: "The reforms announced today are
part of a programme of change to improve the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's accountability to
licence payers.
"The changes mean greater objectivity, fairness and transparency
when the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ receives a complaint.
"The Governors will review these new arrangements from time to
time to ensure they meet expectations."
The announcement follows a three-month review of complaints handling,
led by Deputy Director-General Mark Byford.
The review has taken into account recommendations made by the Neil
Report, published last month.
The new streamlined procedures will ensure that:
There will be two simple routes for complaints to be sent to the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
- either direct to Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Information, or, if complainants prefer, to the
relevant programme;
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ aims to respond to all complaints at the first point of contact
within ten working days;
A new Code of Practice, published today at bbc.co.uk/complaints, and
improved publicity about complaints will ensure people know what to
expect when they complain;
If complainants on editorial matters remain dissatisfied after the first response, they may appeal to the Editorial Complaints Unit
(ECU) (formerly the Programme Complaints Unit) for independent investigation;
and if still dissatisfied the complainant will be invited to make a
final appeal to the Governors' Programme Complaints Committee (GPCC);
A programme or output area or Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Information must offer recourse to
the Editorial Complaints Unit if the complaint is
unresolved after the initial response.
Very serious editorial complaints will be "red flagged" to ensure they
are fast-tracked.
The decision to "red flag" a complaint will depend on the nature of
the complaint, and not on the importance of the person making it.
The decision of the Editorial Complaints Unit will be binding on programme-making
or output departments;
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ online presence at bbc.co.uk/complaints will be used to provide
proper reporting to the public on complaints received and action taken.
A new Complaints Management Board, chaired by the Deputy Director-General,
will oversee complaints handling by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ management and ensure best practice
and that learning from complaints is shared at a senior level.
More effective reporting through a new central logging system within
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Information will ensure that the Complaints Board is fully informed.
A new Head of Complaints (Governance) will be appointed, reporting
directly to the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Governors, who will monitor the delivery of all
aspects of complaints handling at the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and report regularly to the
Governors on the effectiveness of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ processes.
The Governors' Programme Complaints Committee (GPCC) remains the final
appeal body. As now the GPCC will be advised independently of management
on editorial appeals.
The Executive Board of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Governors will separately consider
complaints handling on a quarterly basis, with a full assessment in
the Governors' Annual Report.
Simon Milner, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Secretary, will lead the overall implementation
of the new arrangements.
Implementation of all the recommendations will start in the autumn,
alongside the new changes to governance announced in the recent Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
document Building Public Value.
Notes to Editors
1. The new Code of Practice on complaints can be found on bbc.co.uk/complaints.
2. In addition to complainants themselves wishing to escalate an editorial
complaint, there will be rare occasions when a complaint is of such
gravity that complaints-handling areas may judge it to be in the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's
interest to advance to fast track independent investigation by the ECU
at an early stage.
There will therefore be an obligation for the recipients of highly
serious complaints in all areas to "red flag" the complaint.
Complaints which should be "red flagged" include complaints from parties
directly concerned, allegations of harm to individuals, issues of fair dealing, legal issues and challenges,
and charges of major inaccuracies.
3. Extract from Building Public Value (page 132) published by the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
on 29 June.
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ will shortly introduce a new system for dealing with complaints
from licence payers, to ensure objectivity, fairness and transparency.
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ will begin with the presumption that the licence payer
is right.
A new Head of Complaints will report directly to the Board of
Governors.
We will make it much easier to make complaints about Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ programmes
and services and will publicise the procedures more widely on TV, radio
and online.
We will publish all errors, clarifications and corrections promptly
on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's website.
We will also set out for complainants - and for serious upheld
complaints, for the public at large - the actions the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ will take
to correct the error and minimise the risk of it recurring.
We considered carefully the case for establishing an independent
ombudsman to handle complaints, as some newspapers have done.
However, we concluded that this role would duplicate that of the
Board of Governors, which itself represents the public interest.
Our proposals will shortly be laid out within a new Code of Practice
and implemented as soon as possible.
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ will be a stronger organisation for recognising where it
is wrong and taking clear steps to put things right.
